Arkansas and coal

Introduction
Coal production in Arkansas is relatively minor. In 2004, the state produced approximately 7,000 short tons of coal, which made it 26th in the nation in coal production according to the National Mining Association. Although the most accessible coal has already been mined, Arkansas still has abundant coal deposits. There are an estimated billion tons of bituminous coal still present in the Arkansas River Valley. Much of this coal is relatively low in sulfur content. There are also approximately 9 billion tons of lignite coal in the eastern and southern parts of the state.

Arkansas imports most of its coal from Wyoming. The state consumed over 15 million short tons of coal for electrical power in 2004, producing approximately 46 percent of its electricity. Arkansas' average retail price of electricity is 6.99 cents per kilowatt hour, the 18th lowest rate in the nation. In 2003, Arkansas emitted 62 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, ranking it 32nd in the nation overall.

Governor's Commission on Global Warming
On October 23, 2008, the Governor's Commission on Global Warming released its final recommendations for reducing greenhouse gases in the state. Among the recommendations was a guideline that Arkansas reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent below 2000 levels by 2020, 35 percent by 2025, and 50 percent by 2035. In an 11-10 vote, the Governor's Commission on Global Warming recommended a moratorium on new coal plants in the state until carbon sequestration technology is ready. Other recommendations focused on building new nuclear power plants, establishing a carbon tax, developing renewable energy, and improving energy efficiency.

The report states that greenhouse gas emissions have increased faster in Arkansas than in the nation as a whole. From 1990 to 2005, there was a 30 percent rise in state emissions versus a national increase of 16 percent; on a per-capita basis, this translates to a 10 percent increase in Arkansas, versus a 2 percent decrease nationwide.

Governor declines to issue a moratorium on new coal plants
In December 2008, Governor Beebe met with environmental groups opposed to the new Hempstead plant. The groups delivered more than 3,700 petitions asking for a moratorium on new plants in the state. However, the Governor said that he doesn't have the authority to issue such a moratorium.

A member of the Governor's Commission on Global Warming, which developed a list of strategies to slash the state's CO2 emissions, said that the panel's work would become pointless if the new plant is built. Rob Fisher, executive director of the Ecological Conservation Organization, said, "All the work we did and the recommendations we came up with will be completely negated by this coal plant. All of the work of this commission will be completely in vain."

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) issued a statement thanking the governor for not issuing the moratorium.

Citizen Action Against John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant
On July 20, 2010 two environmental organizations asked a federal judge to halt construction of the $1.7 billion John W. Turk coal-fired power plant that is to supply power to electric customers in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

The two groups, Audubon Arkansas and the Sierra Club said construction of the Southwestern Electric Power Co. plant was destroying pristine wetlands. Owners of a hunting club near the plant site sued previously to stop construction, also on environmental grounds.

Environmentalists Claim Coal Neighbors' Air
In November 2010, a report produced by the Sierra Club, attributed as many as 64 days with harmful levels of smog in Oklahoma to Texas' coal-fired power plants. The report also tied air pollution from the plants to as many as 20 days of unhealthy air in Arkansas and up to 16 in Louisiana.

"The coal plants are a real problem — not just for Texas, but the entire region," said Jennifer Powis, a regional representative for the Sierra Club.

The report supported earlier concerns raised by Oklahoma officials about the potential impacts on their state from the nearly 30 coal-fired plants either operating, permitted or proposed in Texas.

Legislative issues
After Governor Beebe responded to environmentalists in December 2008 that he didn't have the authority to issue a moratorium on new coal plants, a spokesman from his office suggested that new protocols may be discussed during the 2009 legislative session.

Active

 * Hempstead (also known as the John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant)
 * Plum Point Energy Station

Citizen groups

 * Sierra Club Arkansas Chapter

Coal lobbying groups

 * American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity

Power companies

 * American Electric Power
 * Entergy

Existing coal plants
Arkansas has five operating coal-fired power units at three locations totaling 3,958 megawatts (MW). None of these units is larger than 50MW. (To see a map of existing coal plants in the U.S., click here.)

Click on the locations shown on the Arkansas map for plant details:

All of these units are larger than 500 MW:
 * Flint Creek - 558MW - 1978
 * Independence - 1700MW - 1983, 1984
 * White Bluff - 1700MW - 1980, 1981

Coal Ash Waste and Water Contamination
In August 2010 a study released by the Environmental Integrity Project, the Sierra Club and Earthjustice reported that Arkansas, along with 34 states, had significant groundwater contamination from coal ash that is not currently regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report, in an attempt to pressure the EPA to regulate coal ash, noted that most states do not monitor drinking water contamination levels near waste disposal sites. The report mentioned Arkansas based Flint Creek Power Plant and the Independence Steam Station were two sites that have groundwater contamination due to coal ash waste.

Study finds dangerous level of hexavalent chromium at Arkansas coal waste sites
A report released by EarthJustice and the Sierra Club in early February 2011 stated that there are many health threats associated with a toxic cancer-causing chemical found in coal ash waste called hexavalent chromium. The report specifically cited 29 sites in 17 states where the contamination was found. The information was gathered from existing EPA data on coal ash and included locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virgina and Wisconsin. In Arkansas, the Flint Creek Power Plant was noted as having a high level of chromium at its coal waste landfill.

According to the report, the Flint Creek coal ash site is a landfill. Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was reported at the site above 128 ppb (parts per billion) - 6,400 times the proposed California drinking water goals and 1.28 times the federal drinking water standard.

As a press release about the report read:


 * Hexavalent chromium first made headlines after Erin Brockovich sued Pacific Gas & Electric because of poisoned drinking water from hexavalent chromium. Now new information indicates that the chemical has readily leaked from coal ash sites across the U.S. This is likely the tip of the iceberg because most coal ash dump sites are not adequately monitored.

According to the report, the electric power industry is the leading source of chromium and chromium compounds released into the environment, representing 24 percent of releases by all industries in 2009.

Major coal mines
There are no major coal mines in Arkansas.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * Existing U.S. Coal Mines
 * US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2007
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2008
 * Profiles of other states (or click on the map)